METEORIC RIVERS OR WATERFALLS. 405 



This water-spout must have been enormous, since, accord- 

 ing to the English philosopher, the waters at first collected 

 in this bog, escaped afterwards by an inclined plane, and 

 dug or scooped out a ravine, which extends even now as 

 far as the valley of Orotava. After the account we have 

 given, you can judge of the terrible effects of the storm. 



The topographic details into which I have entered, were 

 necessary, to cause the situation of the places to be well un- 

 derstood, which was more particularly the scene of disaster. 

 We can thus appreciate better the chance resulting from 

 the position of the valleys in relation to the superior regions, 

 and perceive the reason of the causes which render them 

 the principal scenes of the catastrophe, or which preserves 

 them from its effects, so we may understand how, in the 

 district of Guiana, the ravines of Badajos and Chicayca be- 

 come small rivers, carried off in overflowing the lands of the 

 coast, a part of the vineyards of that valley ; how, also, on 

 the ravines of the Peak, the torrents ravaged the valley of 

 Orotava, and rendered sterile places previously fertile. The 

 barrancos of Tafuriaste, of an appearance so picturesque in 

 its steeps, its cascades, and the groves of trees which orna- 

 ment its banks, was covered with gravel, and levelled from 

 the centre of the valley to its border. In the same district, 

 the hamlet of Quiquira, situated on one of the arms of the 

 great ravine of Harena, was swallowed up entirely ; one of 

 the sides of the volcanic projection of Realexo was swept 

 off by the shock of the waters, and a whole portion of land 

 disappeared ; the impulse of the torrent increasing in 

 strength with the inclination of the soil, carried off the 

 whole suburb of the port of Orotava. On the sides of the 

 bulk, comprised in the district of Taora and those of Icod 

 and los Vina, torrents, precipitated from the culminating 

 heights, dragged every thing before them; the village of 

 La Guancha was taken off, with fifty-two inhabitants and 

 three hundred animals ; St. John de la Rambla, situated 



